For the Good of the Office

For many of us in the social sector, our offices are the hive from which all the social good emanates. The frenzy of calls and emails directing services to those in needs, the buzzing of meetings where gifts to support the work are decided, and even the interaction amongst colleagues all contribute to the powerhouses that are our offices. Despite this, it’s often the last environment we think of when we think about making it ‘good’. This week, we’re sharing some items we particularly like around the office that are good for work and good for the community.

Stationary

Whether its letterhead, business cards, or event invitations, offices put their logo on so many printed items. How to make this a bit more ‘good’? Consider using a local small business to produce your items. Take a look at Aardvark Letterpress, for example. They are a local Los Angeles, family run business that makes the most stunning items using authentic letterpress machines. Creating something more long lasting, like presentation books for clients? Take a look at Paper Chase Press, another family-run, Los Angeles business. This Grist article provides more information on all the elements that go into ‘green’ printing – from the ink to the paper to the emissions. Ready to go digital and save on printing? Consider digital business cards through a company like Haystack, which creates sharable cards that don’t require the recipient to have any special apps. This Ask Bob Rankin article describes a few other office practices, like printing directly to PDF, that can help make your office more environmentally-friendly.

Inclusive Hiring

Bringing on new team members can be challenging and time consuming, but this too can be an area where we consider thinking about it a bit differently. Are you hiring for positions that could provide meaningful and stable job experiences for previously incarcerated individuals perhaps? Or could you reimagine the position description to make it more approachable for a veteran? The US Department of Labor provides an easy to use FAQ and portal to learn more about hiring ex offenders, veterans, and others that may not typically be in your job search net and this ACLU report highlights the skills and benefits that they can bring to your team. For a case study of what this could look like for your company, take a look at this B The Change article on fair-chance hiring. Ready to jump in? Take a look at Chrysalis, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a pathway to self-sufficiency for homeless and low-income individuals by providing the resources and support needed to find and retain employment.

Catering

Before you host your next lunch meeting or call the caterer for your company’s holiday party, consider who is doing your catering. Miry’s List, an organization that provides a mechanism for people to directly help new arrival refugee families with the things that they need to get started in their new lives – from diapers to beds to cleaning supplies and toiletries, will connect you with a local, newly arrived, refugee family that can cater it! Outside of Los Angeles? There are several other organizations to look into, including, Ratatouille and Company in Connecticut, Eat Off Beat in New York City, Foodhini in DC and Virginia, or the SARA Organization in Texas.

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